All posts by n8rngtd.top

It’s almost the same squad that won the Asia Cup in Malaysia recently

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Dec-2024Niki Prasad will lead almost the same squad that won the recent Under-19 Asia Cup for women at next month’s Under-19 World Cup, in Malaysia. The only change in the 15-member squad is the inclusion of Vaishnavi S in place of 15-year-old medium-pacer Nandhana S, who has been named among the stand-bys.The other standby players are Ira Jadhav and Anadi Tagde, who have replaced Hurley Gala, Happy Kumari, G Kavya Sree and Gayatri Survase from the standby list for the Asia Cup.The Under-19 women recently lifted the Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur by beating Bangladesh by 41 runs in the final.Gongadi Trisha, the Player of the Match in the final, had top-scored with 52 off 47 balls while opening the batting with G Kamalini, who had bagged a WPL contract with Mumbai Indians on the same day she scored an unbeaten 44 off 29 against Pakistan in the Asia Cup.The others from the squad to get their first WPL deals were Prasad (Delhi Capitals) and VJ Joshitha (RCB). Medium-pacer Shabnam Shakil was already with Gujarat Giants, and has the experience of playing four WPL games and a couple of white-ball games for India A in Australia in August.Trisha, Shakil and Sonam Yadav will be playing their second U-19 World Cups, having been part of the previous edition too.India’s win at the Asia Cup came after an unbeaten run (apart from a washed-out game against Nepal). They won their other league game, against Pakistan, and beat Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the Super Fours before winning the final.The upcoming World Cup will be the second such edition, to be played from January 18 to February 2. The 16 teams have been divided into four groups of four each; India are the defending champions and in Group A along with Malaysia, West Indies and Sri Lanka. India will play all their league games at the Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur.India’s campaign will start against West Indies on January 19 before they play Malaysia on January 21 and Sri Lanka on January 23.After the league stage, three teams will progress from each group for the Super Sixes in which there will be two groups of six teams each. Every team will carry forward their wins, points and net run-rate, which is secured against their fellow Super Six qualifiers. The top two sides from each group will then play the semi-finals on January 31 before the final on February 2.

India squad for Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025

Niki Prasad (capt), Sanika Chalke (vice-capt), G Trisha, G Kamalini (wk), Bhavika Ahire (wk), Ishwari Awasare, Mithila Vinod, VJ Joshitha, Sonam Yadav, Parunika Sisodiya, Kesari Drithi, Aayushi Shukla, Anandita Kishor, MD Shabnam, Vaishnavi S
: Nandhana S, Ira Jadhav, Anadi Tagde

This was Ireland’s third T20I win over Bangladesh

Mohammad Isam27-Nov-2025After the Tector brothers – Tim and Harry – powered Ireland to an above-par score, their bowlers ensured a 39-run win over Bangladesh in the first T20I in Chattogram. The hosts have now lost four T20Is in a row while the visitors won their first match of the year.Harry struck five sixes in his unbeaten 45-ball 69, after his younger brother Tim had given Ireland a sound start, with a 19-ball 32. The Tector brothers struck big ones in both ends of the Ireland innings, before their bowlers managed to bowl through the wet conditions due to dew in Chattogram.Fast bowler Mark Adair, playing his first international series since his knee surgery in August this year, sunk Bangladesh in the powerplay. Left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys took 4 for 13, and took three wickets with the wet ball in his fourth over.

Adair forces Bangladesh to crash

Humphreys had Tanzid Hasan caught at mid-on in the first over to give Ireland a perfect start with the ball. Adair got a wicket-maiden in his first over back in competitive cricket after five months. He removed Litton Das playing a double-minded cut, easily caught inside the circle for one. Bangladesh sunk to 5 for 3 in the fourth over, when Adair had Parvez Hossain Emon caught at midwicket.Saif Hassan, recently elevated to the vice captaincy in the T20I side, struck the team’s first boundary in the fifth over. He however was clean bowled by Barry McCarthy, who replaced Adair after he bowled a scintillating spell that read 2-1-3-2.

Jaker, Hridoy offer brief respite

Towhid Hridoy tried to haul Bangladesh out of a desperate situation, with four wickets down and the required run-rate touching 12 per over. He struck Josh Little for four over mid-off, before hitting Gareth Delany for a square-cut boundary. Both Hridoy and Jaker Ali lofted Delany for a six each in the tenth over, as Bangladesh looked to this middle-order pair to get them out of trouble. Jaker however continued his batting struggle, getting caught at deep third after making 20 off 16 balls.Humphreys skins Bangladesh tail

Returning to bowl his last over, Humphreys had quite the mixed bag. He had Tanzim’s wicket with the first ball, caught at long-on. Humphreys bowled three wide deliveries, struggling to keep the wet ball in his grip. He however dried up his hands real good, when he had Rishad Hossain lbw and Nasum Ahmed stumped off consecutive deliveries.After the eighth wicket fell, Ireland dropped several catches mainly due to the wet ball. Hridoy meanwhile reached his fifth half-century, apart from adding 48 runs for the ninth wicket with Shoriful Islam, but it had little consequence on the match.Harry Tector finished unbeaten on 69•BCB

Tim Tector blazes along the ground

When Ireland batted first, captain Paul Stirling struck three early fours before it was the Tim Tector show. He clattered Shoriful for four boundaries in the third over, which went for 18 runs. Stirling fell in the fifth over after which Tim was joined by Harry, and the Tector brothers exchanged more boundaries from either ends.Tim’s inside-out shot over the covers brought up Ireland’s fifty in the seventh over, before he struck Tanzim Hasan through point. Rishad removed Tim in the ninth over, when Tanzim took the catch at long-on.

Harry Tector goes aerial

Harry had already got two boundaries including a straight six, before Tim departed the crease. Harry also went for straight sixes off Rishad before Shoriful removed Lorcan Tucker for 18, in the thirteenth over.Curtis Campher aided Harry with three more fours in his 17-ball 24. Harry hammered Shoriful for his third six, pulled over midwicket, before hitting two more sixes in the last over, both over long-on.

Ben Stokes says Durham quick has “a massive engine on him”

Vithushan Ehantharajah13-Dec-2024Matthew Potts will earn his 10th Test cap as England make one change for their final Test against New Zealand at Seddon Park. Chris Woakes, who played the first two Tests, will be the one to miss out.Potts has taken 31 wickets at 29.22 since making his debut in the summer of 2022, playing the first five matches of Ben Stokes’ tenure as captain. The first three were against New Zealand, with Potts excelling with 14 wickets.However, after being left out for the returning Ollie Robinson for the second Test of the South Africa series that summer, the Durham quick has found his opportunities limited.Related

• Stokes urges England to stay in the now as Ashes year looms once more

• Southee's long farewell the subplot as New Zealand seek series consolation

The 26-year-old played just one Test in 2023 (against Ireland at Lord’s), and, after playing the first two Tests against Sri Lanka this summer, was left out for the third as England opted to have a look at Leicestershire left-arm seamer Josh Hull. A solitary appearance on the Pakistan tour came for the second Test in Multan, on a surface tailored towards the home spinners though Potts took respectable match figures of 3 for 85 in 31.2 overs.With England 2-0 up and the series secure heading into Hamilton, Stokes has decided to give give Potts an outing in the team’s 17th and final Test of 2024. He is likely to take the new ball in Woakes’ abscence.”It’s another opportunity to look at one of the fast bowlers that we see playing a big role going forward,” said Stokes on Potts’ selection. “Two-nil up, you obviously put yourself in an easier position to make the change.”Pottsy’s got a massive engine on him. He can go all day, bowl a lot of overs, but not just that, he’s a very skilful bowler, which he’s got better at by being here, working with Jimmy [Anderson] on a few things here and there. He’s someone who is another versatile bowler, you can use him with the new ball, the short-ball plan that we go to because he’s so fit. He can bowl you 20 overs one day, then rock up again and bowl you another 20.”Stokes also praised Woakes’ output on this tour. The 35-year-old has taken six wickets at 29.16 with the Kookaburra ball as the leader of the attack. That has included Kane Williamson twice.An overseas average of 51 coming into the winter has been reduced slightly to 48.93. And though there is uncertainty as to whether Woakes makes the trip to Australia next winter for the 2025-26 Ashes, Stokes believes the Warwickshire veteran has shown his class.”Chris Woakes came into the winter tours with a bit of scrutiny behind his away record but I think what he has done over the winter has proved a lot of people wrong,” said Stokes. “He’s been fantastic, he was great in Pakistan and pretty influential over here.”

South Africa, who had also shifted to Dubai ahead of the knockouts, will now fly back to Lahore for the second semi-final

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-20252:32

Do India have an unfair advantage at the Champions Trophy?

India will face Australia in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Tuesday after they beat New Zealand by 44 runs in the final group-stage fixture at the same venue on Sunday. New Zealand, meanwhile, will travel to Lahore to meet South Africa in the second semi-final on Wednesday.Due to tangled scheduling, both Australia and South Africa had already flown to Dubai, with an ICC official saying the decision had been taken to allow the side that plays the semi-final in Dubai (Australia in this case) on March 4 the maximum time to prepare for that contest. However, it means South Africa find themselves in the sub-optimal position of having flown from Pakistan to Dubai recently, only to return to Pakistan soon after.The tangled scheduling was a result of India not playing any of their games in Pakistan for the tournament, and they were supposed to play the semi-finals in Dubai, regardless of their standings in Group A. Such a scenario became all but inevitable after India refused to travel to Pakistan for the tournament, despite the country officially being the sole host of the tournament. The PCB had spent several months trying to get India to visit Pakistan, at one stage proposing hosting all their games in Lahore. However, the BCCI said the Indian government did not grant the team permission to play cricket in Lahore.Related

• Glenn Phillips' divine intervention puts tournament rivals on notice

• SA and Australia to travel to Dubai due to tangled Champions Trophy scheduling

• Varun takes five as India top group and set up Australia showdown

New Zealand are set to take an early-morning flight to Lahore from Dubai on Monday while South Africa will fly back to Pakistan later in the day after having spent around 36 hours in Dubai.”Yeah…we will leave [Dubai] at 12.30 or 1 o’clock,” New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said at the post-match presentation. “We get there and we can rest up and train and be ready to go.”While Rohit Sharma was pleased with India’s showing – they are the only team with three wins in as many games in the Champions Trophy – he turned his focus to the semi-final against Australia.”I think it [momentum] is very, very critical when you’re playing such a short tournament,” Rohit said after the win against New Zealand. “You try and possibly win every game that is in front of you and try and do everything right and while doing that, there are bound to be mistakes but as long as you correct them quickly, that is what matters. I thought the mistakes that we’ve been making from game one now, we tend to correct those mistakes and that is what is required.”It [semi-final] is going to be a good game and obviously we know Australia has a rich history of playing ICC tournaments well. We do understand that; it’s about what we want to do against the opposition and try and do that right. We’re all looking forward to that contest and hopefully we can stitch one [more win] towards us.”

Madande and Myers script a fightback for Zimbabwe, but a top-order collapse had left them with too much to do

S Sudarshanan10-Jul-20243:44

India’s confusing selection: Gaikwad at No. 4?

Shubman Gill played the classic anchor. Ruturaj Gaikwad the disruptor at No. 4. And Washington Sundar proved simple offspin can be sexy.At the end of it all, India took a big step towards winning the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe with a 23-run win in the third match to take a 2-1 lead.Gill scored a 49-ball 66 opening the batting and Yashasvi Jaiswal, his partner, slammed 36 from 27, setting the platform for a 28-ball 49 from Gaikwad that helped India to 182 for 4. Washington then picked up three wickets, including two in his first over, for 15 runs to quell chances of a Zimbabwe fightback.Zimbabwe managed to delay the inevitable thanks to a fantastic half-century from Dion Myers, his first in T20Is, and his 77-run partnership with Clive Madande.Yashasvi Jaiswal got India off to a flying start•Associated Press

Gill and Jaiswal reunite at the top

The return of three players from the T20 World Cup-winning squad forced a change in India’s tactics. Jaiswal has been the incumbent opener – whenever India have played without Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli – and he slotted back at the top with Gill. As a result, Abhishek Sharma, fresh from his maiden international century in the second T20I, and Gaikwad had to play out of positions at Nos. 3 and 4.Jaiswal started with two fours and a six in the opening over. Gill did the same in the second over. India were 29 in two overs, and then 49 in four. Then Blessing Muzarabani found his length and the pace to bowl on a two-paced surface. Sikandar Raza’s spin was tough to put away. And from 54 for 0 in five overs, India crawled to 67 for 0 at the end of eight. Which brought about Jaiswal’s dismissal – miscuing the switch hit to backward point.

Gill anchors, Gaikwad bludgeons

Abhishek had a brief stay in the middle, which brought together Gill and Gaikwad in the 11th over. Wessly Madhevere’s only over – the 13th of the innings – allowed India to change gears. Gill first hit the legspinner for a six before Gaikwad hit him for a six and a four. Gaikwad regularly used his feet even against pace to put Tendai Chatara and later Richard Ngarava, who replaced Luke Jongwe in the Zimbabwe XI, off their lengths.Gill sped up to bring up a 36-ball fifty, his first as India’s T20I captain. However, despite a long batting order – Washington was carded in at No. 8 – India were in danger of finishing with a below-par score when they were 130 for 2 after 16. Which is when an 18-run over from Raza – featuring four byes and a six each from Gill and Gaikwad – lifted them. But the extra bounce on the surface consumed Gill in the 18th, when he looked to loft Muzarabani over the covers but miscued it to Raza tracking back. Gaikwad hit a few lusty blows but fell one short of fifty.Dion Myers hit an unbeaten 65 to lead Zimbabwe’s fight•AFP/Getty Images

India ended on 182, not below par at all. Two half-century partnerships – 67 off 50 between Gill and Jaiswal and 72 off 44 between Gill and Gaikwad – had taken India there, and Jaiswal, at the innings break, felt it was enough.What aided them were a few missed half-chances, two dropped catches – one each of Jaiswal and Gaikwad – and a plethora of misfields.

Fielding lets Zimbabwe down again

When Chatara failed to get a hand to Jaiswal’s pull in the opening over, little did Zimbabwe know it was a sign of things to come. In the next over, Myers was a bit late in reacting to a top edge from Gill and the ball landed short of him running in from midwicket. Jaiswal and Gaikwad received reprieves. A few half-chances were missed. The mishaps on the field were mostly regulation efforts, which meant India raced away to a fast start despite facing 22 dots in the powerplay. Overall, India were beneficiaries of 31 runs according to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data. The eventual win margin was just 23.Ravi Bishnoi is mobbed after pulling off a stunning catch at point•AFP/Getty Images

Zimbabwe lose their way, and find it again too late

Tadiwanashe Marumani replaced Innocent Kaia, who had a split webbing, at the top of the order and started enterprisingly. He belted a couple of fours in the opening over bowled by Khaleel Ahmed – in for Mukesh Kumar – but fell trying to repeat the dose in his next over. From the other end, Avesh Khan first dismissed Madhevere, who patted one to short cover, and then Brian Bennett, thanks to a spectacular flying catch from Ravi Bishnoi at backward point.When Raza swung across the line to hole out to deep square-leg off Washington’s second ball, the writing seemed to be on the wall. It got better for India – and worse for Zimbabwe – when substitute fielder Riyan Parag took a sharp catch at slip to dismiss Johnathan Campbell four balls later off Washington.But Myers and Madande had other plans. India’s decision to accommodate all of their T20 World Cup returnees left them thin on bowling resources. As a result, Abhishek and Shivam Dube had to combine to bowl four overs. Myers and Madande didn’t let them settle and hit a combined six fours and two sixes off them. Those four overs cost India 50. Thanks to the early inroads, it did not cost them on the day.

Karima Gore struck an unbeaten half-century to see a 134-run chase through

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-2025Shakib Al Hasan made history on Sunday, becoming the fifth man in the world to take 500 wickets in T20 cricket. He bowled only two overs against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots but picked up 3 for 11 in a match-winning effort for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, who consolidated their place at the top of the CPL 2025 points table.Shakib needed six balls to get the record out of the way, deceiving Mohammad Rizwan in flight and securing a caught and bowled. Two more wickets came his way as he quadrupled his tally for the season and limited the former champions to a meagre 133 for 9 in North Sound. Patriots had a tough go of it after being put in to bat with only Rizwan (30 off 26) and Evin Lewis (32 off 31) scoring more than 18 runs. There were four single-digit scores and three run-outs, epitomising an innings that never went quite right.With a target in front of them, Falcons were able to negotiate the difficult batting conditions better but even they had the odd hiccup. Afghanistan wristspinner Waqar Salamkheil continued his outstanding form as this season’s top wicket-taker with figures of 1 for 16. Patriots needed more than one man to pull off this defence though. They ran into Shakib again, this time with the bat as the Bangladesh allrounder showed off his other skill. Four other men have 500 wickets in T20 cricket but none of them have nearly as much as his 7574 runs. Shakib was 3 off seven balls before he hit Ashmead Nedd for a six down the ground and reverse-swept the next ball for four to hasten Falcons’ march to the finish line.Falcons needed 28 from 30 balls when Shakib fell. Karima Gore, who was playing the anchor’s role until then, found a couple of boundaries to ease off the pressure. He also hit the winning boundary, thus seeing off the chase with two balls to spare and bringing up his fifty as well.

Gill went past 50 for the fourth time in the series as he and Rahul helped India recover from two early wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2025

KL Rahul and Shubman Gill had a good partnership after two early wickets•Associated Press

Tea Shubman Gill and KL Rahul weathered a testing spell from England’s bowlers to produce a wicketless middle session on day four in Manchester, but it was perhaps the only thing that went India’s way after Ben Stokes’ century carried his team to a total of 669 and a lead of 311. Then Chris Woakes struck twice in the first over before India could score any runs to create incredible drama.India went to tea at 86 for 2, still 225 runs behind. They could easily have lost their captain for 46 had Liam Dawson been able to hold on to a tough catch at gully but Gill made the most of that generosity to continue his run-spree. He went past Virat Kohli’s 655 runs against England in 2016 and is chasing down Sunil Gavaskar’s record of most runs as an Indian captain in a Test series (732).Stokes did not bring himself to bowl any of the 29 overs so far, a sign of perhaps the workload he has already taken on. He is playing back to back Tests. He picked up a five-for in the first innings and backed it up with a century – a rare feat among players and even rarer among captains. In scoring 141, he broke a spell of 35 innings without a hundred and earned himself a spot among the best allrounders in the history of cricket. There were, prior to his efforts at Old Trafford, only two with 7000 runs and 200 wickets – Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis.England’s innings reached incredible heights – 669 was their fifth-highest total in Tests – and it ended with 15 minutes for their bowlers to target India before lunch. Woakes produced a beauty from around the wicket to trap Yashasvi Jaiswal for a duck – angled in, seaming away, taking the leading edge to first slip. Then Sai Sudharsan made a mistake born out of spending 157 overs in the field, fatigue resulting in him misjudging a ball that was short and wide. In the end, he ended up getting caught at second slip trying to play the leave.

Compared to last summer, the left-armer is in a far better place physically and he was impressive against Pakistan

Alex Malcolm04-Nov-2024There’s always whispers about Mitchell Starc. He is a lightning rod for opinion in Australian cricket. But the whispers going around at the start of this summer are generating some serious excitement.His off-Broadway seven-wicket Sheffield Shield haul at the MCG two weeks ago had set tongues wagging in both the New South Wales and Victoria dressing rooms.Sean Abbott said he was trying to avoid being stationed in the slips because of how quick Starc was bowling. Victoria coach Chris Rogers, with five Test hundreds to his name, briefly joked about joining David Warner in offering a Test comeback before noting that watching Starc bowl made him rethink even joking about it.Related

• Australia's ODI questions: Opening 'fireworks', filling Green's spot and the back-up quicks

• Cummins denies Pakistan a heist to remember as Australia go 1-0 up

Those whispers became roars on the first day of the home summer for Australia’s men. On another fast and bouncy MCG pitch, Starc had a field day. He took 3 for 33 from 10 against Pakistan, including three maidens. The last time he delivered three maidens in an ODI was on the same ground in 2016.He beat both openers for pace. He lit up the stumps of a tailender. It was Starc at his quintessential best.”It’s always nice to find that rhythm I guess at the front end of the summer,” Starc said after collecting player-of-the-match on Monday. “Probably didn’t have that rhythm in the UK tour, with a few moving parts and a bit of sickness getting around the group.”Twelve months ago, Starc was just limping to the start line of the home summer, having somehow played 10 of 11 games in the ODI World Cup and contributed in the semi-final and final, despite carrying a significant physical issue that he has never wanted to disclose.Saturday’s main training session at the MCG was instructive as to how much better he is feeling compared to this time last year where his preparation was severely limited due to the physical issue he was battling.On Saturday he was in full flow in the nets. There was no inhibition. His only pause was to have a lengthy conversation about his load up with head coach Andrew McDonald and bowling coach Daniel Vettori. There was no angst or concern. He was merely describing a feeling and an internal cue that he wanted.It is a sweet spot for a fast bowler to be. Fit, firing and pain free, with only a simple thought to worry about before letting another rocket fly.”I think more physically, coming off a few issues through the World Cup into last summer in comparison to this summer, I sort of feel like the body is in a good space, and felt like I had really good rhythm, and felt really good last week in the Shield game,” Starc said.”I’m not really tweaking anything, but just focusing on a few things technically. But I think the physical aspect of it, the body is in a much better place than last year.”Starc confirmed he will play the next ODI on Friday in Adelaide but was cagey about whether he would fly to Perth. Josh Hazlewood will join the squad in for the second match against Pakistan after playing a Shield game for New South Wales in Sydney that finished on Monday.It seems more than likely that both Starc and Cummins will avoid the trip to Perth before heading over there the following Sunday to prepare for the first Test against India. A decision on whether Hazlewood plays two games in three days in Adelaide and Perth will be made in due course.”I expect to play in Adelaide, and then we’ll go from there,” Starc said. “It’s a few days between this one and Adelaide, a chance to play the golf and get ready for Friday. Different story between Friday and Sunday in Perth.”

Isy Parry gets her maiden contract for Otago; Northern Districts sign Carol Agafili

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-2024

Central Districts

Uncapped right-arm seamer Grace Foreman has been awarded her maiden contract. Foreman, who hails from New Plymouth, has impressed through Taranaki and Central Districts’ pathway systems in recent years.She represented the team at the Under-15 and Under-19 levels and was part of the side that won the 2022 NZC Under-19 national championship. She debuted for a Districts A side last season and was also invited to a NZC Under-19 national camp last season.Related

• Dodd opts out of Hinds' list, U-19 star Browning moves to Otago

Foreman joins right-arm quick Anna Gaging as the new face on the list and completes the Districts’ contracted player roster for the 2024-25 season.”I’m really grateful and honoured to get this opportunity with the Hinds,” Foreman said. “I was shocked when [head coach] Jacob Oram phoned me to offer me the contract as it has been a goal of mine for some time now. The prospect of playing with some of my role models is surreal, and I am really looking forward to joining the team.”Foreman hails from a cricketing family. Her elder sister Amy Foreman has coached the Taranaki women’s team in the past and was on NZC’s pathway-to-performance coaching scholarship last season. Their mother, Helen, has also been involved in Taranaki cricket.This list of 15 players also consists of two NZC-contracted players Rosemary Mair and Hannah Rowe who will represent the team when available. Captain Natalie Dodd was unavailable as she is expecting her first child later this year.Contracted players: Aniela Apperley, Georgia Atkinson, Ocean Bartlett, Flora Devonshire, Grace Foreman, Anna Gaging, Kate Gaging, Claudia Green, Mikaela Greig, Ashtuti Kumar, Emma McLeod, Thamsyn Newton, Kerry Tomlinson
NZC contracts: Rosemary Mair, Hannah Rowe

Canterbury

Canterbury have signed batter Emma Irwin as their 13th and final signing for the season. This will be Irwin’s second stint with Canterbury. Irwin, 20, was part of the New Zealand Under-19 side at the World Cup in January last year.Contracted players: Kate Anderson, Sarah Asmussen, Missy Banks, Natalie Cox, Jodie Dean, Harriet Graham, Abigail Hotton, Laura Hughes, Frankie Mackay, Izzy Sharp, Jess Simmons, Gabby Sullivan, Emma Irwin

Auckland

Fast bowler Sophie Court is Auckland’s final signing for the season. Court’s elevation to the contract list comes after her rise through Auckland Cricket’s Talent and Pathway programme, where she represented Auckland Under-19 and Auckland A. She was part of the Auckland Under-19 team that won the women’s national under-19 tournament in Lincoln earlier this year.”There were a lot of emotions when I got the call,” Court, 19, said. “I would like to thank my parents and all my coaches. Their support over the years has been great. It means a lot to me and I’m excited and honoured to be a part of this group. I’m looking forward to learning heaps and gaining lots of experience.”Contracted players: Olivia Anderson, Bella Armstrong, Elizabeth Buchanan, Prue Catton, Amie Hucker, Bree Illing, Kate Irwin, Rishika Jaswal, Cate Pedersen, Josie Penfold, Saachi Shahri, Anika Todd, Sophie Court

Northern Districts

Allrounder Carol Agafili is Northern Districts’ 13th signing as they round up the contracts list for the season. Agafili has represented Districts in the past and also turned out for Samoa in three T20Is earlier this year.Contracted players: Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Caitlin Gurrey, Eve Wolland, Holly Topp, Jess Watkin, Jesse Prasad, Kayley Knight, Marama Downes, Marina Lamplough, Nensi Patel, Shriya Naidu, Tash Wakelin, Carol Agafili

Wellington

Right-hand batter Gemma Sims is the final addition to Wellington’s roster. Sims played six Super Smash matches last season for Wellington but failed to deliver a big performance.Contracted players: Antonia Hamilton, Caitlin King, Hannah Francis, Jess McFadyen, Kate Chandler, Leigh Kasperek, Tash Codyre, Nicole Baird, Phoenix Williams, Rachel Bryant, Rebecca Burns, Xara Jetly, Gemma Sims

Otago

Isy Parry has been awarded her maiden Otago contract and is their final signing for the upcoming season.Contracted players: Emma Black, Caitlin Blakely, Anna Browning, Harriet Cuttance, Chloe Deerness, Olivia Gain, Bella James, Louisa Kotkamp, Felicity Robertson, Molly Loe, PJ Watkins, Saffron Wilson, Isy Parry

Worcestershire lower-order resist but hosts prove too strong once again

ECB Reporters Network19-May-2024Surrey’s quest for a hat-trick of Vitality County Championship titles gained further momentum with a 281-run demolition of Worcestershire inside three days at the Kia Oval.Dan Worrall added four for 35 to his first innings’ six for 22 and late hitting from Ben Gibbon and Nathan Smith merely delayed the inevitable as Worcestershire, set a nominal 513 to win, were bowled out for 231 in their second innings.Worcestershire, a sickly 102 for eight at one stage, were boosted by Gibbon’s spirited 63-ball 75, his career-best, and Smith’s 60, while Kemar Roach picked up two for 29 and Dan Lawrence two for 53. Sean Abbott and Gus Atkinson took a wicket apiece, leaving only Jordan Clark wicketless.It is Surrey’s fourth successive victory and, having begun the game already 21 points clear of their nearest rivals, their 19-point haul could stretch their lead at the top of Division One table.Surrey’s second-innings 427 left Worcestershire, 85 runs in arrears on first innings, with not just a mountain to climb but an impossible task even to save the game against the 2023 and 2022 champions’ formidable five-pronged pace attack.And, despite a well-grassed surface playing far easier than when Surrey – put in – had slipped initially to 15 for four at the start of the match, Worcestershire’s top order were still no match for Worrall and company.Gareth Roderick (1) was the first to go, before lunch, nibbling a legside catch to keeper Ben Foakes off Worrall, and in the fifth over after the interval Kashif Ali (12) glanced Roach to leg slip, where Lawrence took a smart low catch.Soon Worcestershire were an ugly 34 for four, with Worrall producing classic outswingers to have both Jake Libby (13) and Adam Hose (1) caught at the wicket.Atkinson’s introduction, for the 20th over, brought an almost immediate reward as the centrally-contracted England fast bowler bowled Brett D’Oliveira with his sixth ball for 13.Matthew Waite was the next to depart, at 69 for six, when he swished at Abbott’s fast-medium and edged through for Foakes to claim the fourth of his five catches in the innings.Worrall, recalled for a second spell at the Vauxhall End after Atkinson’s initial 6-1-14-1, struck with his eighth ball back to have Rob Jones leg-before for 14 and Roach also returned to have Joe Leach caught behind for six.But Smith, the New Zealand international, then offered defiance with some lovely strokes against the Surrey quicks, and in No 10 Gibbon he also found a willing partner in a ninth wicket stand of 71 that took the game beyond tea.But after he reached 60, with two sixes in the first over following the interval from Lawrence which cost 18, Smith hit the off spinner high to long on where Roach took a comfortable catch.Gibbon continued to attack, taking three sixes from Lawrence’s third over, that cost 25, and in the process completing his maiden first-class fifty before also hooking Abbott over the deep mid wicket ropes for another maximum.Last man Yadvinder Singh joined in the fun, as Lawrence was replaced nursing the extraordinary figures of 3-0-49-1. Singh’s unbeaten 14 helped Gibbon to post another 58 for the tenth wicket, a Worcestershire record against Surrey, before Gibbon greeted Lawrence’s return to the attack by mis-hitting a reverse-swipe to deep mid-wicket. Gibbon’s 75 had included four sixes and seven fours.Surrey had earlier spent 75 minutes adding 85 more runs to their overnight 342 for five, with both Lawrence and Clark – resuming on 86 and 69 respectively – failing to complete their hundreds after adding 117 together in 22 overs for the sixth wicket.Clark got closest, agonizingly falling for 98 from 116 balls when one from Waite kept a little low and pinned him in front. Lawrence went in the morning’s second over, having added just a single to reach 87 before swivel-pulling Gibbon straight to deep square leg, but Abbott helped Clark to add a quickfire 42, pummeling two legside sixes in the process.Bustling medium-pacer Waite then produced a fine ball to send back Atkinson for four, leg-before in front of his stumps, and Abbott’s merry 31-ball 38 was ended when he swung once too often at Singh and was bowled.Paceman Singh ended up with four for 103, on his first-class debut, when he also bowled Worrall for two, while Waite and the left-arm Gibbon – who toiled through 27 overs – both deserved their own figures of three for 69 and three for 102, respectively.